Shirts promoting gay tolerance spark controversy at school

A student T-shirt campaign to prevent bullying ran into the hard reality of school dress code rules on Wednesday.

Middle school students at Faubion Middle School in McKinney wore shirts to school on Wednesday that say, "Gay OK."

Student Sammy Heiman says a bisexual friend and classmate was getting bullied, so Heiman made the shirts to counteract the bad words and insults.

At school on Wednesday, students who wore the shirts say administrators told them to change or go home.

"I chose not to because I felt we weren't doing anything wrong," said Heiman.

But McKinney ISD says nothing was wrong until lunchtime, when a spokesperson says, "A verbal disruption occurred between a large number of students in the cafeteria as a result of the shirts. This was not civil debate, but rather yelling and shouting, and alarmed a large number of students."

Meaning, the shirts became disruptive and a distraction.

Heiman's mom, Kristy Heiman, doesn't agree.

"That's what America is about, is being able to voice your opinion," said Kristy Heiman. "These girls did not do anything disruptive at all."

Threatened with being sent to the school's office, all but five students changed their shirts.

Isha Lal didn't change and was sent home.

"I know I'm not wrong and this isn't against the dress code, so there was no reason to change," said Lal.

This effort has gained a lot of attention on social media and at school –- so much so that Sammy Heiman is making more shirts to keep up with the demand.

More students plan to wear the shirts on Thursday to support her message of tolerance.